Furniture-castes



FURNITURE CASTER.

APPLmAToN- FILED H0v.1x,19|8,

1,305,276. Patented Junejs, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE j JAMES GIBSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 LEWIS SCHILLER,

OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. v

FURNITURECASTER.

Be it known that I, JAMES Ginsoiv, a citi- Zen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furniture- Casters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the single ball and socketl anti-friction type of furniture casters, wherein 'the large ball has its bearing upon a series of smaller' balls, within a ball socket, and the object of the invention is:

First: To provide an anti-.friction bearing for the large ball, upon the line of the diameter of the said ball; and,

Second: To close the orifice in the cap, within which the ball has a rotary move ment.

The invention further consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, such as will be first fully described, and then specifically pointed out 'in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1. is a vertical, sectional view of an anti-friction ball invention.

Fig. Q. is a bottom view of the easter.

Fig. 3. is a plan view of the inner side of the cap, showing the grooved flange concentric with the opening for the ball, and the anti-friction ring, secured within the groove.

Fig. A. is a plan view, in detail, of the anti-friction ring.

Fig. 5. is an enlarged, a portion of the caster, embodying the isometric view of removable cap and the ball socket, showing the key openings for securing the anti-friction ring in place.

Fig. 6. is a detail, isometric view of a por. tion of the antifriction ring, showing the key.

Fig. 7. is a vertical, sectional view of the caster, as seen in Fig. 1, showing the a'ntifriction balls, of smaller proportions.

Fig. 8. is a plan view of the inner side of the cap, showing a portion of the groove concentric with the opening for the large ball of the caster, and the modified anti-friction ring.

Similar numerals of reference indicate Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

1, 1918. Serial No. 262,043.

corresponding parts drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates the body'of the caster, which consists of a case or shell having a semi-cylindrical concavity or socket 12. Arranged above the body 16 is an annular plate 13, connected integrally with the upper portion of the shell 10, by the neck 14:. Extending upwardly from the plate 13, in a vertical line with the neck 1l,is a screw-threaded stem 15, which extends within the screw-threaded opening 16 in the 17, as shown.

Vithin the socket 12, and in the lower, inner side portion of the shell 10 is a screwthreaded portion 18.

Q0 indicates the removable cap upon the lower portion of the hemispherical ease 10, in which is a circular opening :21, for the large ball 22, of the caster, the outer portion 23, of the cap, extending outwardly and bearing rmly upon the lower edge portions of the heinispherical case 10i. A circular flange :2l extends upwardly, from the inner side of cap 20, within the socket l2, the outer portion of which is screw-threaded at 25, and tted to engage with the screwthreaded portion 18, of the shell 10.

Upon the inner side of the ange 24 is a groove :26, concentric with the outer portion of said flange, in which flange, diametrically to the cap, are notches 27, 27, leading to the groove 26.

:2S indicates the anti-friction ring, which is composed of either rigid or elastic material, upon the outer surface of which are the keys or lugs 2S). This ring is fitted to move freely within the groove 26, its inner circumference of the. ring being less than that of the opening 21, in the cap 20, for the ball 22 of the caster, the inner surface of the ring being in frictional contact with the ball 22, and the lower surface bearing upon the upper portion BO, of the cap 20, between the grooved flange 2A and the side of the opening S21, for the ball To insert the ring 28 within the inner circumference of the flange 24:, the opening 27, and the ring turned a half circle, the lugs moving in groove 26 and securing .the ring in position, the outer surface of the ring being adapted to move freely in contact with the inner surface of the flange 24.

in all the figures of the lugs 29 are placed within the v 3l indicates the anti-friction balls within the socket l2, and upon the peripheral portions of which the large ball 22 has its bearing. These anti-friction balls as shown are of the larger size, and hence there is no displacement of the balls relative to one another. The cap 2O is tirst removed from the case 10, and the case inverted in position, and the balls in the exact number, so as to leave a slight. distance between each one inserted. The large ball 22 is then placed cenupon the smaller balls, and threaded fiange tted to the threaded portion 18, of the case, the smaller, segmental portion of the ball 22 extending through the opening 2l, which is of a size which prevents the ball from passing through the opening, while the anti-friction balls above the line of the diameter of the ball 22 afford the bearing for sustaining the weight of the furniture. The lower anti-friction balls in the series directly above the cap, in the present invention, lie upon the upper surface of the anti-friction ring 28, which is directly receiving the thrust laterally of the ball 22, and is always in line with the diameter or' said ball, and receives the shocks horizontal g 17, opening 2l and prevents sand or dirt from being carried by the ball 22 into the socket and clogging the anti-friction balls 3l.

In Fig. 7, the anti-friction pellets 32, employed in place of the ball 32, displace one another, in a rotary movement of the ball 22, and aii'ord greater mobility for said ball. In this illustration, the groove 26, in the iiange 2l, and the lugs 29, on the ring 28, are dispensed with,` and a plain ring 33 employed, to fit within the ange 39, as seen in F ig. 8, whichsustains the innermost pellets 32, and contacts upon its inner side with the circumferential portion of the ball 22.

Such modifications may be employed as are within the scope of the appended claims.

Iaving fully described my invention, which l now claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In an anti-friction ball bearing furniture caster, the combination with the body or shell oi the caster, having a semi-spherical concavity provided with a screw-threaded portion and with a single large ball, and smaller anti-friction bearing balls, a removable cap having an opening for the outward extension of the large ball, a flange on the inner side of said cap having screw threads adapted to engage with the screw threads on the inner side or" said concavity of said shell, and an anti-friction ring supported by said cap and arranged between said Hange and the large ball of the caster.

.4. In an anti-friction ball bearing furniture caster, the combination with a body or shell having a concavity, and with a large single ball, and smaller anti-friction balls within t 1e concavity bearing on the upper surface of the large ball and with a removable cap having an upwardly-eXtended iiange provided with screw threads upon its outer surn g a groove upon the inner notches leading to said groove, of an anti-friction ring supported by said cap within said groove, and lugs upon said ring adapted to notches and groove, said shell having screw threads adapted to receive the screw threads on the iiange on said cap.

JAMES GIBSON. lVitnesses Joni? J. PHELAN, Jnssn O. BAKKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

